Phil Callihan

Technology Innovation Entertainment

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Orginally from Food.com

Great chicken dish with lemon sauce and artichokes. Compares to favorably to an item from Macaroni Grill.

Ingredients

Servings:  4

Lemon Butter Sauce

4 ounces lemon juice
2 ounces white wine
4 ounces heavy cream
1 lb butter (4 sticks)

Chicken and Pasta

6 -8 chicken breasts (3-ounces each)
oil , for sauteing chicken
butter , for sauteing chicken
2 ¾ cups flour , seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
6 ounces pancetta , cooked
12 ounces mushrooms , sliced
12 ounces artichoke hearts , sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 lb cappellini pasta , cooked
chopped parsley , for garnish

Directions

Sauce

1. Heat the lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce by one-third.
3. Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens (3 to 4 minutes).
4. Slowly add butter until completely incorporated.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Chicken and pasta

1. Heat a small amount of oil and two tablespoons butter in a large skillet.
2. Dredge chicken in flour and saute in pan, turning once, until brown and cooked through.
3. Remove chicken from pan.
4. Add remaining ingredients to pan.
5. Cover and heat until mushrooms soften and are cooked.
6. Add chicken back to pan and let simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Cook pasta and drain. * see notes

To serve

1. Place cooked pasta on each plate.
2. Add half of butter sauce to chicken mixture and toss.
3. Taste and adjust. Add more sauce if needed.
4. Place chicken mixture over pasta.
5. Add a little more sauce to each.
6. Garnish with parsley.

Notes

1. I’ve broken the directions into sections to make it easier to follow.
2. This recipe makes a lot of food. Consider halving the recipe.
3. I substituted center cut bacon for pancetta. I cooked it and then cut it into 1 inch pieces.
4. The recipe call for a lot of mushrooms. I used about 2/3 of what it called for.
5. I used Riesling when the recipe called for white wine.
6. That’s a lot of butter (!) I’ll scale it back a little next time.
7. Originally the recipe called for the pasta to cooked earlier. But it stuck together while waiting to be served. It didn’t impact the taste but the presentation wasn’t as nice as it should have been. So I’ve moved it to later. Your pasta may vary.
8. I used chicken tenders (not the breaded kind) but smaller pieces of chicken breast. If you decide to use full size chicken breasts, I’d recommend flattening them beforehand.

Tried a great new restaurant today.  Frita Batidos serves cuban cuisine in a casual atmosphere.

I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was outstanding.  Others with me had the cuban sloppy joe and chorizo frita (a cuban hamburger) and we shared an order of conch fritters.  All items got a great reviews.

Many items on the menu looked great but it the pulled pork sandwich was so good it will hard to pass it up next time I visit.

Today was the grand opening and there were a few bumps, but the staff was friendly and I would definitely recommend a visit.

http://www.fritabatidos.com/

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.

The last is to say thank you.

In between, the leader is a servant.

Max Depree

If you aren’t fired by enthusiasm you will be fired with enthusiasm.

Vince Lombardi

Had a chance to the see the 25th Anniversary Les Miserables concert at our local theater here in Ann Arbor.

Les Mis is one of my favorite musicals and I’ve seen it performed a number of times from local touring productions, to Broadway and in the London West End so I brought many preference to how I prefer each part to be performed.

First the technical production was good, it was displayed digitally and the picture quality only broke up a few times and even then it didn’t detract that much.  I would have preferred a little more volume but overall the sound mix was good.

The cast was very accomplished, and did the material the credit.  My only disappointment was that I prefer the  Javert role to be performed by a “low” baritone to contrast with Valjean which is usually a tenor.

One annoyance was that the Marius role was played by pop sensation Nick Jonas whose pained facial expression is matched by the audience when he sings.  Seriously, I had almost convinced myself that he wasn’t *that* bad  until the concert cast was joined by the original 1985 cast in an encore, and the 1985 ‘Marius” reminded me what a truly talented performer could bring to role.

Overall the concert is well worth seeing and will be available on DVD.  One note is that this might not be the best introduction for someone who has never see the full stage production.  The show has been edited down (most of which I heartedly agree with) but some of the scene transitions may confuse someone unfamiliar with the stage production.

An added bonus is the previously mentioned encore where the 1985 cast joins the concert cast and members of the current London production.

A final note, as much as I love Les Miserable the Musical, anyone who enjoys it should really take time to read the original book by Victor Hugo which is an amazing work.  Knowing the back-stories and connections between the characters detailed by Hugo adds extra layers of depth to the musical.

You can video and images from the concert on the official site  here and many unofficial clips on youtube.

What the mind can conceive
The mind can achieve
And those who stay
Will be Champions

Bo Schembechler

1. If anything can go wrong, Fix it! (to hell with Murphy!)

2. When given a choice take both!

3. Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.

4. Start at the top and then work your way up.

5. Do it by the book- but be the author!

6. When forced to compromise, ask for more.

7. If you can’t beat them, join them, then beat them.

8. If its worth doing, it’s got to be done right now.

9. If you can’t win, change the rules.

10. If you can’t change the rules, then ignore them.

11. Perfection is not optional.

12. When faced without a challenge, make one.

13. “No” simple means begin again at one level higher.

14. Don’t walk when you can run.

15. Bureaucracy is a challenge to be conquered with a righteous attitude, a tolerance for stupidity, and bulldozer when necessary.

16. When in doubt- THINK!

17. Patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing.

18. The squeaky wheel gets replaced.

19. The faster you move , the slower time passes, the longer you live.

Last Saturday, I had a great experience at the Encore Theatre in Dexter, Michigan.  On a lark, my wife and I decided to take in a production of Damn Yankees.

The production was very entertaining.  The cast, made up of company regulars and bolstered by guest stars, was top flight.  The theatre itself sounded great with comfortable seating and the eight rows made for an intimate venue.  An added bonus to the evening was a post-show cabaret showcasing musical numbers ranging from Wicked, Les Miserables, Suessical, Evita and many others.

Being a fan of musical theater, I’ve seen many productions on Broadway, in Toronto, and the London West End, and countless touring productions and can honestly say that the talent on display at the Encore was outstanding.  The Encore is a true gem and I highly recommend it.

http://www.theencoretheatre.org/

“Breathe first, win second”

Priorities –George M Steinbrenner III

Sometimes humor can stealthily deliver a powerful message.

Take the new movie, Despicable Me, a new 3-D feature that debuted this weekend.

When GRE, the “despicable” protagonist, needs an innovation to get his evil mojo back where does he find it?

In the past he might have stolen it from the Army or maybe a hapless inventor working out of his garage.

In 2010, he goes to Asia and steals it.

The message is subtle but stinging.  The United States which historically has been viewed as the technology leader of the word has slipped.  GRE approaches the Evil Bank (humorously referred to as being formerly named Lehman Brothers) to fund his dastardly endeavors but for technology innovation he goes to the Far East.

I’ve been researching book on technology innovation so maybe I’m reading too much into it after all it’s just a movie.

But a generation of children are being exposed to the notion that cool technology doesn’t originate in the United States.

Hopefully someday we’ll look back at this film and laugh at the notion of cool new technology being the exclusive domain of the far east.  Let’s hope so…